Training session for Moderators September 2014

[Deleted User]

Hi,

In September the Moderator's will be holding an Annual Review. I had a look back on the 'constructive' thread and see a request to make stickies more noticeable, which will have to be carried over until a decision is made on moving to a new forum. Please let me know if I have missed anything.

One of the problems we face is that we are struggling to recruit new Moderators, so simplifying the Moderator Manual will be looked at.

Making it easier to understand and implement our rules will be looked at. For example it is easy to follow a rule 'no swearing allowed' rather than each Mod having to make a judgement call on whether or not to allow a post.

We need to do something similar with links in posts.
Links for goods/products don't seem to cause problems but links to sites that are health related need to be considered. Articles in newspapers, sites based in other countries, links to U-tube, can cause problems. If you have ideas that would help with this problem please share them.

Please also mention any other areas where you feel changes could be made to improve the forum for all users.

Ideas you put forward will be considered but decisions will be made by the Management team, I will give feedback after the meeting

Thanks
Mod YEH

(Apparently that's you-tube, not a plumbing issue :oops: )

stickywicket

Thank you to the Mods and webmanager for consulting us on this.

I'd like to start by congratulating you all for liberating us from the formerly endless procession of new kitchens which greeted us every morning

You say you are 'struggling to recruit new Moderators'. Might it be helpful to have a sticky asking for applications but which also gave some indication of what sort of commitment is involved re time, technical knowledge and rules to be applied? From time immemorial it has always been difficult to get people to volunteer for anything. The first step has to be a very easy one not a huge leap of faith.

Re the 'no swearing' rule, I think that's a poor example of 'easy to follow' , probably because 'swearing' is not easily defined. Oxford Dictionaries Online defines 'to swear' (in this context) as 'Use offensive language, especially as an expression of anger:'. What offends is a purely personal matter. Some of us are offended by being treated as naughty children. I have been offended and embarrassed when very frightened newbies have been instantly rapped on the knuckles for swearing.

Links? As we don't know what problems they cause it's hard to offer suggestions.

I agree that 'health sites' can be extremely misleading, especially when they have a product, or several, to promote. Could Mods simply apply a rider to any posts advocating them that not all web info is reliable or trustworthy and AC members are advised to check any health info with the NHS Choices website and also consult their own doctor before adopting any pills, potions or dietary regimes advocated?

Newspapers? We are adults. We read newspapers on and offline.

'Sites based in other countries'? This sounds a little xenophobic unless it refers to some technical problems.

'Links to you-Tube'? I rarely follow any. What is the problem?

AOB?

1. Announcements are still being left on way past their sell-by date making the forum look neglected. Over half the current ones are out of date.

2. I have noticed recently that some new members who post on LWA seem to appear so far down the page they can be overlooked. Sometimes I know I have been on the forum later than when they apparently came in and they were not there at the time. I guess this is some side-effect of spam detection. Would it be possible for such posts to go onto LWA at the top rather than at the time they were written (but presumably necessarily delayed)?

Thanks again for all your hard work

[Deleted User]

Hi,

I've just checked our Announcements and changed the out of date ones to standard topic. If/when I forget do feel able to drop me a reminder :P

Re- new members posting, being placed in moderation and then finding their post when accepted as it is timed from when they wrote their post rather than when it was approved. If I've got that right I can see the problem, one to take to the technical team I think. I will let you know the answer.

Thanks Sticky for the info re recruitment, swearing, links - they will all be taken to the meeting

Take care
Mod YEH

stickywicket

Thank Mod YEH

ichabod6

Limit the number of daily postings made by individuals.
It would make us think a bit more about what we post
and should help avoid countless repititions.

dreamdaisy

Of course there are numerous repetitions, new members are naturally full of questions, may be bewildered by what they have been told and may not be aware of the search function. If we wished to avoid repetition then many people wouldn't receive any form of answer, which is not that helpful to newbies, is it? (I know it can be mind-numbingly boring typing out the basic stuff again and again and again so maybe the existence of the search function could be made more apparent on the forum?) I can see it from a newbie's view - a virtual cold-shoulder wouldn't bear well with me.

The forum means different things to different people, we each use it in a way that suits us, and between us we have a large pool of collective experiences on which to draw - well, those who bother to post do. The forum is lop-sided to the negative but that's not surprising because those who are doing well on the meds don't need AC. AC, however, needs them to provide the balance. DD

stickywicket

Trying to enable a newbie to find previous threads has just reminded me......

Could the search facility please be vastly improved? The current one often doesn't bring stuff up even when you know it's there somewhere and have tried several different ways of putting it. The little blue 'search' button is more useful but wouldn't it be better if both facilities were combined?

salamander

As someone who doesn't post much any more due to over moderation, I would welcome some changes.

I fully support all of Sticky's suggestions. Perhaps you might attract more members and, therefore, more people who might be willing to moderate, if the site wasn't so anodyne. I'm not suggesting it should be confrontational or abusive, just livelier. It might become that if it wasn't so stifled.

Regarding oft asked questions and answers: maybe you could have some obvious links to Facts pages or pages for newbies. Perhaps, then, a more interesting forum could develop out of people exchanging information, coping mechanisms, having a bit of a debate too. Arthritis isn't just about the medical bits, it's also useful to get some support and ideas for coping better and, god forbid, enjoying your life. However, most crucial is exchanging information, even if you don't agree with someone's ideas it is good to hear them and for people not to be stamped on as soon as they say anything controversial. Here's looking at some of you posters as well.

stickywicket

Another thing that I realised today for the umpteenth time :roll: - it's all too easy to overlook a newbie post on the sticky thread at the top of the 'Say Hello' forum, especially if a second newbie has posted after them. I wonder if we actually need the sticky. In fact , I wonder if we need the 'Say Hello' forum at all. I think most newbies would get more answers if they were encouraged to jump straight in on LWA.

As for Salamander's good point about ' obvious links to Facts pages or pages for newbies' – the current 'Publications and Resources' button is almost invisible and the title itself sounds a bit academic and off-putting. A larger 'Arthritis – Facts and Coping Mechanisms' might be better.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

Our meeting is next week, I was just making sure I had everything you all wanted mentioned/discussed etc in the right place and the thread had lost its sticky :P :P

Did I sticky it in the first place?

Of dear, a few early nights in preparation for our meeting I think - if only it worked like that :?

OK anything else you think of please add it and it will be mentioned

Thanks
Mod YEH

stickywicket

Good luck to all Mods

I hope your Annual Review this coming week goes well, and smoothly and you get many, if not all, forum difficulties sorted.

Thanks again for all your help.

hileena111

Hi
I don't agree on this......Limiting daily postings.......nor do I agree about no repetitions.
The thing I like about the forum is that its is not "official" Its people suffering the same or similar things to the person posting and asking questions.....Its not a doctor or medically trained person answering......I know some of us are but that's beside the point we speak from our own experience.
Between the lot off us I think we could answer most questions thrown at us.....there are so many different kinds of arthritis that people on the forum have.
{Except advising on medication and things like that....that goes without saying....most of us do stress that we are not medically trained.}
Love
Hileena
Good luck with this mods

tkachev

I also agree with Hileena about the limited daily postings and repetitions.

also the search button on every forum I've ever used fails to bring up appropriate posts. The only good one is google itself and thats a multi-million pound company.

what sort of issues do links cause? Are we talking technical issues?



Elizabeth

As5567

I'd like an expansion on the youtube issues if possible?

YouTube links are mostly safe, if the content isn't "PG-13" then it will ask you to login to a YouTube account and confirm that you're 18.